Publication of Speedway Yearbook 2008 - superbly edited by Robert Bamford

Methanol Press SPEEDWAY YEARBOOK 2008
Edited by Robert Bamford

£14.99 272 pages Paperback Just Published

The indispensable companion for the 2008 season for speedway fans everywhere - edited by respected speedway author and historian, Robert Bamford.

The Speedway Yearbook provides the definitive guide to and last word on everything you’ll need to know to enjoy your speedway in 2008!

It’s comprehensive, definitive and packed with useful information. The book covers all British Leagues – Elite, Premier and Conference – as well as all major meetings in Britain and Internationally along with complete coverage of the Speedway Grand Prix Series.

It also includes a review of the 2007 season along with a profile of every British League team, 74 black & white photographs, detailed track information as well as the ultimate speedway resource - the acclaimed and comprehensive Rider Index!

About the Author
Since attending his first meeting over 30 years ago and apart from being the most published speedway author of his generation, Robert Bamford currently combines the dual role of press officer/programme editor at both Reading and Swindon speedway clubs.

Order Information

Buy this book online at www.methanolpress.com or by post send a cheque for £17.99 (to cover postage and packing – UK only) made payable to “J. Scott” to Methanol Press, 2 Tidy Street, Brighton BN1 4EL

Also available at all good track shops and prior to the 2008 speedway season will be on sale at the Speedway & Grasstrack Show (Coventry, February 9th), High Beech (80th Anniversary meeting, February 17th) and at the 23rd Ice Speedway meeting (Telford, February 24th)

Wonderful Martin Parr comparison in Daily Telegraph

It is not an easy leap from Italian football to British speedway, but it has to be made to pay appropriate attention to Shale Britannia: A Sideways Glance at Speedway (Methanol Press, £15). The title barely does the work justice, for it is not so much a glance as a full-on stare. It is an almost entirely pictorial record of the quixotic sport, compiled by Jeff Scott, who is splendidly privileged to be Writer in Residence at Eastbourne Stadium.

There is more than a hint of the great, sly realist Martin Parr in Scott's photographs, which capture a scene that has barely changed in many respects since the Seventies. It is a very attractive volume, neatly designed by Rachael Adams, and anyone who has ever caught the whiff of Castrol R on the evening air will love it.

ANDREW BAKER, Daily Telegraph 24th January 2008

This is a lovely review and huge (unmerited) honour to feature in the same sentence as the totally excellent Martin Parr! To learn more and to see some of his wonderful work click here

GP official attendance figures 2.3% up in 2007

The F.I.M. has just published the official attendance figures for the 2007 Grand Prix Series.

Total attendances improved by 2.3% overall from 147,392 to 150,913 though because many of the attendances have weirdly symmetrical numbers you have to assume that these are ‘rounded’ figures not specific ones. I gather that these figures refer to ‘paying customers’ but there still may well be discounted admissions (and/or comps)contained within these figures.

One thing that stands out is that the quality of the racing on offer isn’t necessarily a key variable since, for example, attendances at Bydgoszcz have declined whereas Cardiff has increased.

Some people have also (sensibly) highlighted that the use of indoor stadia means that fans know that the meeting will go ahead irrespective of the weather, though this might impact advance bookings it also doesn’t appear to be the key variable.

Looking through the figures venue by venue
Prague was 9% up on 2006 but is the third lowest attendance since 1999
Wroclaw was up 2% on 2006 and either flat over a four-year trend or substantially down on the 2000 figure
Bydgoszcz was down 11% on 2006 but equal fourth highest attendance since 1999
Cardiff finally showed an upward trend (up 3% on 2006 and not a ‘rounded’ figure) but still down on the 2002 high point
Krsko was up 14% on 2006 but down on the 2002 high figure
Copenhagen was the real success and up 22% on 2006
Eskilstuna was down 18% but the base is too small to make this significant
Malilla was down 15% on 2006
Lonigo was down 4% on the 2006 figure on 4500+1